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Bioclimatic architecture and its Bioclimatic

architecture
energy-saving potentials: a review
and future directions
Emmanuel Imuetinyan Aghimien and Danny Hin Wa Li
Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong,
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, and Received 9 November 2020
Revised 18 February 2021
Ernest Kin-Wai Tsang Accepted 11 March 2021

Department of Science, The Open University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract
Purpose – This paper reviews extant studies on bioclimatic architecture with a view of revealing the focus
areas of past studies and mapping out future research directions useful in achieving building energy efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-method systematic review that integrates quantitative and
qualitative analysis was adopted. The bibliographic data were extracted from the Scopus database, and a
scientometric analysis was conducted to analyse the data quantitatively. Qualitative content analysis is then
presented, which provided a basis for mapping out trends and gaps in current knowledge.
Findings – It is observed that there has been a rise in the number of studies on bioclimatic architecture over the
last two decades. Past studies have focused on sustainability, building performance simulation, building
climatology and energy use, solar energy applications and passive cooling. Artificial intelligence, algorithm
coupling and acoustic comfort were some of the emerging areas discovered in this study.
Research limitations/implications – The study reveals research gaps that researchers can investigate.
Practical implications – The information provided can help the building industry stakeholders in decision-
making. It serves as a guideline for maximising the potential benefits of adopting bioclimatic designs in the
building industry. Furthermore, it provides references that aid policy formulation for government agencies and
corporate organisations.
Originality/value – The study fills the literature gap caused by the need for a holistic literature review that
relates bioclimatic architecture and its energy efficiency implications. It is also the first study on bioclimatic
architecture that adopts a mix of scientometric and qualitative analysis for analysing past studies on
bioclimatic architecture.
Keywords Bioclimatic architecture, Energy efficiency, Scientometric review, Qualitative analysis,
Building performance simulation
Paper type Literature review

Introduction
The building sector is one of the significant consumers of energy by contributing 40% of the
world’s total energy consumption (Seyedzadeh et al., 2018). The highest stage of building
energy consumption is during building operation, which includes heating, cooling, lighting,
utility and household appliances (Ju and Qing, 2013). This operation consumes about 80% of
the total building energy. Baumert et al. (2005) submitted that most of our time as humans is
spent in buildings, and as urbanisation takes an upward growth, the energy expended in
buildings per country will be on the rise. The tremendous growth of the world’s energy use
has led to concerns over its corresponding impacts on the ecosystems, such as the depletion of
the ozone layer, global warming and scarcity of natural resources (GhaffarianHoseini
et al., 2013).
Engineering, Construction and
Work described was fully supported by a General Research fund from the Grant Council of HKSAR Architectural Management
[Project no. 9042773 (CityU 11211719]. Emmanuel Imuetinyan Aghimien was supported by a City © Emerald Publishing Limited
0969-9988
University of Hong Kong postgraduate studentship. DOI 10.1108/ECAM-11-2020-0928
ECAM The application of sustainable energy-efficient measures in buildings has become an
alternative to cater to the high demand and cost of energy in most industrialised countries
(Mohammed, 2007). One of such sustainable energy-efficient measure is bioclimatic architecture
(Ness, 2017). Bioclimatic architecture describes the study of the climate as it applies to
architecture for improving the health and comfort of building occupants through the use of low
passive energy techniques, right design elements and technologies that control the heat transfer
process (Ness, 2017; Ţundrea and Budescu, 2013). Bioclimatic architecture attempts to achieve
energy efficiency, bio-human comfort, protection and sustenance of the environment,
promotion of renewable energy resources and deriving better profit economics in the
building industry (Bajcinovic and Jerliu, 2016). Bioclimatic designs reduce the need for heating,
cooling, lighting and ventilation, which leads to a reduction in energy costs (Cruz et al., 2011).
Upon recognising the importance of bioclimatic architecture, previous review studies have
made valuable contributions (Bodach et al., 2014; Chetan et al., 2020; Geetha and Velraj, 2012;
Manzano-Agugliaro et al., 2015). Geetha and Velraj (2012) and Chetan et al. (2020) reviewed
passive cooling methods and their implication on building cooling loads. Although passive
cooling is a bioclimatic architecture strategy, a literature review on only passive cooling does
not give a holistic view of what bioclimatic architecture entails. Bodach et al. (2014)
qualitatively reviewed the different bioclimatic design strategies used in Nepal’s vernacular
buildings. The limitation with the focus on vernacular architecture are modern building
practices were not considered, and other phases in the evolution of bioclimatic architecture
aside from the adaptation of vernacular architecture (Manzano-Agugliaro et al., 2015) were
absent. Also, since the study area was Nepal, the study cannot explain bioclimatic
architecture in a global context. Manzano-Agugliaro et al. (2015) gave an overview of what
bioclimatic architecture entails. While the study recognised the development of energy-
saving technology to support bioclimatic architecture, it primarily reviewed bioclimatic
architecture’s influence on thermal comfort. Meanwhile, human comfort and energy savings
are the primary justification for bioclimatic architecture (Bodach and Hamber, 2010; Yeange,
1996). Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) identified bioclimatic design as one of the approaches for
attaining better building energy performance and a higher standard of living comfort. Hence,
while Manzano-Agugliaro et al. (2015) covered the thermal comfort aspect of bioclimatic
architecture, further studies on the building energy implication of bioclimatic architecture are
required. Also, Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) identified the lack of studies on the direct association
between the energy performance and bioclimatic conditions of a region. Furthermore, all the
identified review studies used the manual qualitative approach only. Studies show that such
a method can be affected by the authors’ subjective biases, and the approach lacks reliability
(Darko et al., 2020; Yu and Liao, 2016). A scientometric analysis can analyse an existing body
of knowledge and still addresses the limitations of manual qualitative review (Wuni et al.,
2019). This approach is quantitative and has been successfully used in built environment-
related studies (Darko et al., 2020; Olawumi and Chan, 2018).
While some manual reviews on bioclimatic architecture exist, this study stands out as the
first mixed-method qualitative scientometric review study that relates bioclimatic
architecture and its energy-saving benefits. It also attempts to extend the previous manual
reviews by addressing their limitations and filling the literature gap. The research objectives
of the study were to: (1) identify and critically examine the highest-impact publication outlets,
research keywords and articles in bioclimatic architecture using science mapping (2) identify
the emerging research themes in bioclimatic architecture (3) identify the deficiencies within
the existing body of knowledge in bioclimatic architecture domain and (4) recommend
research directions for future studies. The research finding contributes to the global body of
knowledge by providing a detailed overview of the current state of bioclimatic architecture
studies, establishing research themes and clusters and recommending areas for future
studies. In practical terms, the study provides practitioners with a reference for maximising
the benefits of bioclimatic design and planning while also serving as a policy-making tool. Bioclimatic
The study has some limitations, which include the use of only the Scopus database, the architecture
selection of documents in the English language only, and the inclusion of only journal and
conference articles. Since global energy demand is a recurring subject of discourse, this study
attempts to provide a reference for achieving zero or near-zero energy buildings, which in the
long run, curbs the global energy challenge.

Overview of the bioclimatic architecture concept

Sustainability stems from the need to align with the concept of sustainable development
(Ragheb et al., 2016). According to Brundtland’s report, sustainable development involves
meeting the present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their
own needs (WCED, 1987). Since sustainability has a broad appeal among several disciplines,
it has also become one of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry’s
conceptual framework. Green buildings, also called sustainable or high-performance
buildings, have been linked with global sustainability’s numerous goals (Ragheb et al.,
2016; Wuni et al., 2019). A green building reduces or eliminates a negative impact on human
health and the environment. Bioclimatic architecture is the main part of green buildings
(Eichner and Ivanova, 2019). Maciel (2007) clarifies the distinction between bioclimatic
architecture and sustainable design. Sustainable design is viewed from the perspective of the
building’s impact on the local environment. It embraces the building material’s embodied
energy, durability, water efficiency, energy use, waste and toxic reduction and contribution to
smart growth and sustainable development (US Environmental protection agency, 2016;
Wuni et al., 2019). In bioclimatic architecture, energy saving, comfort and a lower
environmental impact are achieved by integrating the design with local climatic features, and
the building material does not necessarily limit it (Maciel, 2007). It further describes a type of
architecture that is more responsive to climate, location and human needs (Abdulmu’akhir,
2012). Furthermore, sustainable design is guided by three principles: resource management,
life cycle design and design for humans and the environment (Sev, 2009), while bioclimatic
architecture embraces the principle of sustainability with emphasises on the building’s
impact on the environment and humans (Maciel, 2007).
Bioclimatic architecture is based on vernacular architecture (Manzano-Agugliaro et al.,
2015). This involves analysing a place’s traditional architecture based on climate and culture
and proffering appropriate passive architectural and construction solutions (Cruz et al., 2011).
Vernacular architecture arose when heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) and
lighting technology were absent to cater to the lighting and cooling issues, and this led to the
use of local materials (Cruz et al., 2011). These local materials are specific to the building’s
location, and the technologies used are modified to fit the local bioclimatic characteristics
(Manzano-Agugliaro et al., 2015). In this sense, local architectural designs will incorporate
wood or earth as construction materials (Neves, 2006). Vernacular buildings optimise the use
of natural resources like the sun and wind, and studies have proven that such buildings have
good thermal performance (Bodach et al., 2014). Hence, vernacular architecture has a close-
knit relationship with bioclimatic architecture. Overtime, vernacular bioclimatic architecture
has evolved into modern bioclimatic architecture. Vitruvius tripartite model plays a huge role
in this evolution (Maciel, 2007). This model combined climate, architecture and comfort as
influencers of the environmental process. However, Olgyay (1963) improved on the Vitruvian
tripartite model. Olgyay (1963) model considered the relationship between building fabric and
plants. This model expressed the relationship between biology, climatology, architecture
and technology and was termed the bioclimatic architectural approach. Givoni, Szokolay
and Mahoney further developed the concept of bioclimatic architecture (Givoni, 1969;
Koenigsberger et al., 1971; Szokolay, 1986). Givoni (1969) and Szokolay (1986) model shared
ECAM similar features, and these were focused on determining comfort zones through the average
monthly climate data. Koenigsberger et al. (1971) model is also known as the Mahoney tables, and
it is based on the climatic analysis. Upon its adoption, the air conditioning system’s availability in
the 1950s reduced the readiness to adopt the bioclimatic design; however, the need for this design
approach came up in the 1980s (Manzano-Agugliaro et al., 2015). The design approach became
essential after global environmental concerns on the need for a sustainable design solution with
less impact on the environment (Ţundrea and Budescu, 2013).
Various studies have outlined the bioclimatic architecture principles (Axarli and Teli,
2008; Lamberts, 2006; Ţundrea and Budescu, 2013). Apart from improving human comfort,
the goal of bioclimatic architecture is to resolve building energy needs by improving the
building’s hydrothermal and acoustic insulation (Ţundrea and Budescu, 2013). A bioclimatic
design must be organic and eco-compatible, adopt the use of natural insulating materials, and
the building materials must not be sources of noxious fumes (Geetha and Velraj, 2012).
Further inquiries have identified achievement of thermal, visual and acoustic comfort,
improvement of air quality, daylighting, passive solar, heating and cooling systems, natural
ventilation, adequate landscaping and shading and exploitation of renewable energy systems
as the major principles of bioclimatic design (Axarli and Teli, 2008; Lamberts, 2006. Plate 1
gives a graphical representation of some bioclimatic strategies used in a residential building.
The deciduous trees and landscaping gardens provide seasonal shading and temperature
reduction. Also, the dense thermal mass wall and floor, light-coloured walls and insulated
roofing materials provide passive cooling. Solar panels act as a renewable energy resource;
the cantilevered balcony provides shading while the large fenestrations give room for natural
ventilation and daylight. As shown in Plate 1, the walls are embedded with phase changing
materials (PCM) to increase its thermal mass (Geetha and Velraj, 2012).

Research methodology
The objectives of this study were met using a mixed-method systematic review. The mixed-
method systematic review integrates quantitative and qualitative data to give deductions
that encompass the result that either quantitative or qualitative review could generate alone
(Malina et al., 2011). This approach also eliminates the subjective bias of using manual
systematic reviews (Ghosh et al., 2020). This section outlines the research methods and tools
used in this study. Subsections were created to give a detailed overview of the adopted
research methodology, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 1.

Overview of science mapping and scientometric analysis

Within a large body of literature and bibliographic data, science mapping can visualise important
patterns and trends (Cobo et al., 2011). Unlike the manual review method, this approach allows
ease of mapping the linkages of researchers, keywords, countries and publication outlets within a
research domain (Su and Lee, 2010). In this study, a quantitative-based science mapping technique
called scientometric analysis was used to analyse the bibliographic data. This technique involves
visualising and analysing a large collection of papers by presenting the intellectual trends and
mapping structural patterns in a research domain (Saka and Chan, 2019). Furthermore,
scientometric analysis is one of the most used methods for analysing research development
(Olawumi and Chan, 2018), and it has been used across many disciplines (Ghosh et al., 2020).
Hence, the scientometric analysis was used in the present study.

Science mapping software selection

The text-mining tool, Visualisation of Similarities (VOSviewer), developed by Nees Jan van
Eck and Ludo Waltman (van Eck and Waltman, 2010), was used to produce the visualised
 Solar radiation and daylight

Light coloured roofing Solar panel cells on roof for

material with insulation energy generation

Seasonal Pergola to serve as landscape

Shading to wall garden
glazing Study Family Lounge
Natural ventilation

Natural light
Cantilevered balcony
Family
F ami l y L
Lounge
oun
ungge
For shading

PCM embedded wall to

increase thermal mass

Natural ventilation Ante Room Dining

Sun shading
Air temperature Light coloured external wall with deciduous
regulation with Window blinds for sun tree
deciduous tree screen

Large fenestration for Dense thermal mass ground

daylighting and natural and suspended floor
ventilation
architecture
Bioclimatic

Plate 1.

representation of
bioclimatic strategies
Graphical
ECAM Literature Search Import bibliometric data into
(Scopus database) VOSViewer

361 initial extracted papers

Refine extraction
(Fields of publication, Analyse Bibliometric data
language, document type) - Publication per year
- Publication per source
200 extracted - Most cited publication
papers - Research focus base on co-occurring
keywords
Extract publications

Figure 1.
Outline of research Qualitative Analysis
framework

map in this study. The software is open-source, and it was chosen because of its ease of usage
for visualising large networks through a distance-based approach (van Eck and Waltman,
2010). These large networks comprise journals, researchers or individual publications,
constructed based on citations, bibliographic coupling co-citation or co-authorship. Besides
VOSviewer, other text mining tools like CiteSpace (Chen, 2016) and Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009)
exist. VOSviewer has been used in different AEC research areas like construction
management, building control, building information modelling (BIM), off-site construction
and public–private partnership (Wuni et al., 2019). Hence, VOSviewer is sufficient for
achieving the study’s objectives.

Bibliographic data extraction

A literature search was carried out using the Scopus database. This is because the Scopus
database covers more researches with more recent publications (AghaeiChadegani et al.,
2013). One database was used because combining different database always bring about the
need to eliminate duplicated publications from the different databases (Darko et al., 2020).
Searched literature was based on published journal articles and conference proceedings.
Journal articles were selected on the premise that they are reliable sources of knowledge
provided in a detailed and concise manner (Zheng et al., 2016). Studies have also shown that
an excellent conference will attract many good manuscripts (Lee, 2019). Hence, conference
proceedings have been identified as reliable sources of literature review (Aghimien et al., 2019;
Webster and Watson, 2002). The bioclimatic architecture publications were derived by
entering the keyword “Bioclimatic Architecture” OR “Bioclimatic Design”. Publications
having these keywords in their title, abstracts and keywords were extracted. There was no
limitation to the years of search documents, and this was done to accommodate more
publications. A total of 361 publications were realised. A further refinement of these
publications was done using the study areas related to engineering, energy and
environmental sciences. These fields were selected based on their relations to the issue
under investigation and the built environment. The language was limited to English only,
and at the end of the refinements, 200 related publications were obtained. These comprised of
92 journal articles and 108 conference papers. The bibliographic data were downloaded in
comma-separated values (CSV) format.
Scientometric technique Bioclimatic
As presented in Figure 2, the downloaded bibliographic data were imported into the architecture
VOSviewer software. Therefrom, network analysis and visualisation were carried out. The
network analysis involved constructing networks through outlets citation analysis, citation
analysis, keyword occurrence analysis and cluster analysis. Data clustering is a data mining
technique that involves identifying the natural groupings within a multifaceted data set
based on some similarity measure (Jain et al., 2000). Cluster analysis is a salient part of the
scientometric analysis since it determines and analyses the relationship between terms and
identifies trends. VOSviewer provided the information on clusters of the research theme. In
the keyword network analysis map, items of the same colour belong to the same cluster and
are represented with a circle. The distance between the circles represents the keyword
relatedness. Finally, maps and tables were created to visualise the networks and
quantitatively summarise the network’s metrics, respectively.

Qualitative analysis
The qualitative discussion was done in line with previous studies (Ghosh et al., 2020; Jin et al.,
2019), based on the keyword analysis and the analysed cited documents. The intent was to
provide a detailed qualitative synthesis and evaluation of the identified bioclimatic
architecture studies. The qualitative analysis also provided an additional basis for
determining the emerging research themes, identifying research gaps and proposing
future studies.

Results and discussion

Publications per year
Figure 2 displays the trend of the number of publications per year on bioclimatic architecture.
The data retrieval query used was time unconstrained to allow for more publications, and the
recruited studies were between 1980 and 2020. The first set of publications was found in
the 1980s, and this is consistent with the Manzano-Agugliaro et al’s (2015) findings. The
appearance of documents in the 1980s is expected because contributory factors to research in
bioclimatic architecture became evident in this period. For example, the concept of

18
16 16
16
14
13
Number of Publications

14
12 12
12 11 11
10
10 9 9
8
8 7
6
6 5 5 5 5

4 3 3
2 2 2 2 2 2
2 1 1 1 1 1
0
0
Figure 2.
1980
1981
1982
1983
1985
1986
1989
1990
1993
1994
1996
1997
1998
2000
2001
2003
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
year

Number of
publications per year
Year of publications
ECAM sustainable green architecture was amplified in the 1980s. This was meant to curb building
energy challenges caused by the introduction of intensive energy technologies in the 1980s
(Manzano-Agugliaro et al., 2015; Metalliou, 2006). The second decade also had a good number
of publications on bioclimatic architecture. This might be influenced by the increase in the
interest to integrate environmental values into architecture (Bondars, 2013). This was
demonstrated by the “passive house” in the early 1990s (Fiest and Pfluger, 2007). In total, 16
publications were recorded in 2009 and 2017, respectively, and this is the highest number of
publication recorded. Compared to the first two decades (i.e. 1980 to 2000), more documents
are available in the last two decades (i.e. 2000 to 2020). Hence, there has been an increase in the
number of yearly publications in the twenty-first century. With the increasing energy
challenges in the 21st century (Bahar, 2014) and the building industry being a major
consumer of global energy in this period (Gulbinas and Taylor, 2014; Seyedzadeh et al., 2018),
the need for more studies to curb such energy issues is necessary.

Publications per document source

Research outlets are primary sources for disseminating academic contributions. These
outlets provide readers with sources for obtaining information on a particular research area;
and to authors, it provides knowledge on publication outlets for publishing their works
(Darko et al., 2020). To derive this information, VOSviewer was used. The type of analysis was
“citation”, and the unit of analysis was “sources”. By setting the minimum extraction at 3
documents and 5 citations, 12 document sources were revealed, as shown in Table 1. Energy
and Buildings topped the list with 26 documents and 741 citations. Energy and Buildings is a
journal aimed at presenting new research and proven practices that reduce building energy
use and improve indoor environmental quality. With a current H-index of 166 and an impact
factor of 4.867, the result might not be surprising. From the result obtained, Energy and
Buildings and Renewable Energy are the two most influential journals. Therefore, they are the
first point of reference for prospective individuals who wish to advance bioclimatic
architecture research. It is also essential to recognise the Passive and Low Energy Architecture
(PLEA) conference’s contribution over the years. The PLEA association organises these
conferences, and it shows commitment towards the development of innovative bioclimatic
design principles in sustainable architectural and urban designs (PLEA, 2020).

No. of Total Avg. publication

Research outlets Links publications citations year

Energy and buildings 5 26 741 2010

Renewable energy 0 14 78 1997
PLEA 2006 0 12 33 2006
PLEA2011 1 9 10 2011
PLEA 2005 0 8 11 2005
WIT transactions on ecology and the 1 8 5 2012
environment
Energy procedia 1 7 14 2015
Sun, wind and architecture 0 7 10 2007
Table 1. PLEA 2008 0 6 23 2006
Summary of the Architectural science review 1 6 5 2008
number of publications Procedia engineering 0 5 17 2016
per document source Building Simulation 1 3 28 2014
Most cited publications Bioclimatic
Since scholars always identify with publications that have contributed significantly to the architecture
research community (Jin et al., 2018), it is necessary to determine the most cited documents
and their concentration area. The total number of citations can be used to access a
publication’s influence (Aghimien et al., 2019; Wuni et al., 2019). By pegging the minimum
number of citations at 10, out of the 200 extracted publications, 29 were revealed as the most
cited document. These documents are shown in Table 2. Ratti et al.’s (2003) article has the
most citation. The article improved on a study by Leslie Martin, and other scholars at the
Cambridge University on “What building forms makes the best use of land?”. The initial
study used a case study approach to identify the best building form based on built potential
and daylight. However, Ratti et al. (2003) reassessed the validity of Leslie’s result using image
processing. In the study, a courtyard and pavilion style designs were used for the case study,
while the environmental variables analysed were surface-to-volume ratio, shadow density,
daylight distribution and sky view factor. It was asserted that a courtyard design that gives a
better environmental response in a hot arid climate than a pavilion styled design might not
give the same result if the same design is implemented in a hot humid climate. This is because
in environmental research regarding building form, specifying the building’s climatic zone is
essential. Also, in bioclimatic designs, choosing the right building shape is a passive design
strategy for optimising building energy use (Baker, 2003). Ratti et al. (2003) also submitted
that larger courtyards are better because they are environmentally adequate in cold climates.
However, under certain building geometries, such large courtyards might become sun

Article Publication outlet Links Citations

Ratti et al. (2003) Energy and buildings 1 186

Casals (2006) Energy and buildings 0 146
Tzikopoulos et al. (2005) Energy and buildings 4 87
Bodach et al. (2014) Energy and buildings 1 49
Bastide et al. (2006) Energy and buildings 0 41
Mavromatidis et al. (2012) Applied energy 2 34
Karkanias et al. (2010) Energy policy 0 30
Etzion et al. (1997) Automation construction 1 30
Evans et al. (2003) Energy and buildings 0 28
Mavromatidis et al. (2013) Applied energy 2 25
Jamaludin et al. (2014) Energy and buildings 0 24
Karakounos et al. (2018) Energy and buildings 0 22
Bodach and Hamber (2010) Energy policy 0 22
Bajcinovci and Jerliu (2016) Environmental and climate technologies 0 19
Mavromatidis et al. (2010) Building simulation 2 19
Irulegi et al. (2014) Energy and buildings 0 18
Suarez et al. (2011) Energy and buildings 1 18
Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) Energy and buildings 3 17
Desogus et al. (2016) Energy and buildings 1 17
Penic et al. (2014) Applied mechanics and materials 0 17
Fernandes et al. (2015) Buildings 0 16
Zain-Ahmed et al. (1998) Renewable energy 0 16
Kumar et al. (1998) Energy conservation and management 0 16
Zuhairy and Sayigh (1993) Renewable energy 1 14 Table 2.
Chronis et al. (2012) Automation construction 1 13 Quantitative summary
Tang et al. (2014) Energy and buildings 0 12 of top cited
Mahdy and Nikolopoulou (2014) Energy and buildings 0 11 publications in
Bosqued et al. (2006) PLEA 2006 0 11 bioclimatic
Pastore et al. (2017) Energy and buildings 0 10 architecture
ECAM concentrators. This happens because a change in proportion causes variations (Ma€nty, 1988).
Thus, Ratti et al. (2003) concluded that climate and built proportions affect the choice of
building forms. In Table 2, the other top three articles are Casals (2006), Tzikopoulous et al.
(2005) and Bodach et al. (2014). Casals (2006) investigated the most effective means of
controlling and limiting energy consumption in the building energy sector. Tzikopoulos et al.
(2005) analysed the use of bioclimatic design strategies to reduce energy use, while Bodach
et al. (2014) made a case for adopting climate responsive designs.

Keyword analysis and areas of research focus

Determining keywords and providing a map visualisation is an important aspect of a
scientometric analysis. Keywords explain the vital contents of research and give insights into
the focus areas within a given domain (Su and Lee, 2010). To create the co-occurrence map
based on the bibliometric data, determining the minimum number of co-occurrence keywords
is required. This allows for proper clustering of the research theme (Aghimien et al., 2019).
Using “Author Keywords”, a minimum number of 5 co-occurrence of keywords, and the
full counting method in the VOSviewer, 77 of the 1522 keywords were revealed. Details of
the top 30 keywords are summarised in Table 3. Findings show that the keyword with the

Avg. Avg. publication Total link

Keywords Citations year Occurrences Links strength

Daylighting 33 2005 6 31 45
Walls (structural 32 2012 5 20 27
partitions)
Laws and legislation 30 2008 5 20 25
Vernacular architecture 25 2012 11 25 58
Climate control 17 2011 21 47 156
Computational fluid 15 2012 7 27 42
dynamics
Building sectors 13 2010 5 29 48
Buildings 12 2000 38 61 210
Sun 12 2010 6 30 45
Climatology 11 2006 17 43 97
Cooling 11 2003 5 22 30
Heating 11 2013 12 43 94
Solar radiation 10 2008 6 28 43
Ventilation 10 2009 28 54 163
Energy utilisation 10 2009 30 66 231
Architectural design 9 2010 50 70 297
Bio-climatic designs 8 2016 29 59 199
Air conditioning 8 2013 7 33 53
Bioclimatic design 8 2007 84 74 443
Structural design 8 2010 12 44 99
Sustainable building 8 2011 7 34 64
Building 8 2014 8 26 45
Natural ventilation 8 2011 15 41 97
Sustainability 7 2011 11 39 88
Bioclimatic architecture 7 2008 57 70 290
Bioclimatology 7 2010 20 39 98
Table 3. Intelligent buildings 7 2009 13 47 105
Top 30 keywords with Climate change 7 2009 10 38 62
the most citations in Atmospheric temperature 7 2013 8 31 56
the literature In-buildings 7 2009 6 33 51
highest occurrence does not necessarily have the most citation. For example, daylighting has Bioclimatic
an average citation of 33 but has 6 occurrences, while climate control, which has an average of architecture
17 citations has 21 occurrences. Figure 3 presents the network visualisation map of
keywords. The map’s connection lines show the interrelatedness between a pair of keywords.
As shown, bioclimatic design is related to sustainable development and vernacular
architecture (Bodach et al., 2014), and atmospheric temperature is related to natural
ventilation and evaporative cooling (Irulegi et al., 2014), while computer simulation is related
to thermal performance (Bosqued et al., 2006).
Also noticeable is the grouping of the 77 keywords into 5 clusters in Figure 3. Each cluster
is made up of keywords with close internal relationships. Details of each cluster are discussed
as follows:
Cluster 1 - Sustainable development in bioclimatic architecture: this is represented in red
with 18 keywords like sustainable development, bioclimatology, intelligent building,
vernacular architecture etc.
Cluster 2 - Building performance simulation (BPS) for bioclimatic designs: this is depicted
in green, and it has 17 keywords. These are bioclimatic design, thermal performance,
computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computer simulation, etc.
Cluster 3 - Building climatology and building energy use: the 16 keywords in this cluster are
illustrated in Figure 3 with blue colour. These keywords include energy conservation,
energy performance, indoor thermal comfort, climate control etc.
Cluster 4 - Solar energy applications in bioclimatic architecture: this is denoted in yellow
with 15 keywords such as solar energy, solar heating, solar radiation, daylighting, among
others.
Cluster 5 - Systems and passive cooling in bioclimatic buildings: this is shown in purple, and
it is made up of 11 keywords related to cooling in buildings. Items such as cooling systems,
natural ventilation, passive cooling, evaporative cooling system are some keywords in this
cluster.

Discussions and findings from qualitative analysis

The qualitative analysis was done in two parts. The first part is the content analysis of the
most cited documents. The second is the content analysis of the research themes based on the
keyword analysis.

Summary of most cited documents

The identified most cited documents were aggregated and analysed in a hermeneutic fashion.
Findings from the qualitative review of the most cited documents are presented in Table 4.
Only the top 10 documents are shown in Table 4 due to space constraint. Bajcinovci and Jerliu
(2016) identified five objectives for adopting bioclimatic design principles. These are energy
efficiency, human comfort, protection and sustenance of the environment, the use and
promotion of renewable energy resources and deriving a better profit and rentable economics
in the building industry. A holistic view of each document shows they fit into these objectives.
Thus, the objectives resolved by each study were identified, as shown in Table 4. It was
observed that most studies focused on human comfort (Evans, 2003; Zain-Ahmed, 1998),
energy efficiency (Casals, 2006; Jamaludin et al., 2014) and promotion of renewable energy
resource (Karakounos et al., 2018; Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017). The cost and economic implications
of adopting bioclimatic architecture were also analysed (Mahdy and Nikopoulous, 2014;
Irulegi et al., 2014), but such studies were few compared to others.
keywords
ECAM

Figure 3.

map of co-occurring
Network visualisation
Computaonal fluid
dynamics

bioclimatology

Sustainable development

Thermal comfort

Office Building
Year of Research Bioclimatic Strategy
Bioclimatic
publication Authors Aim approach objective investigated architecture
2003 Ratti et al. Identifying the best Computational Human Building
building form simulation using comfort form
based on built image processing Protection and Daylight
potential and tool on MATLAB sustenance of
daylight the
environment
2006 Casals Investigating the Numerical Energy NA
most effective modelling and efficiency
means of simulation Better profit
controlling and and rentable
limiting energy economics in
consumption in the the building
building energy industry
sector using a case
study of Spain
2005 Tzikopoulos Identifying the Numerical Energy Solar water
et al. application of modelling and efficiency heaters
bioclimatic design simulation using Use and Shading
in reducing energy Minitab promotion of Natural
consumption renewable ventilation
energy Thermal
resource storage walls
2014 Bodach et al. Making a case for Detailed literature Human Solar passive
the adoption of review Comfort heating
climate responsive Use and Proper
designs promotion of building
renewable orientation
energy Use of
resource overhangs
Thermal
mass
Natural
ventilation
Insulation
2006 Bastide et al. Providing better Computational Energy Natural
bioclimatic design simulation using efficiency ventilation
solution by CFD Human
reducing the Comfort
annual energy
consumption spent
on air conditioning
2012 Mavromatidis Investigating the Numerical Energy Thermal
et al. contribution of modelling and efficiency protection
time lags and simulation Table 4.
decrement factors Qualitative summary
for building walls of top cited
numerically publications in
bioclimatic
(continued ) architecture
ECAM Year of Research Bioclimatic Strategy
publication Authors Aim approach objective investigated

1997 Etzion et al. Investigating the Experiment and Energy Natural

effect of report efficiency ventilation
integrating low Use and
energy promotion of
technologies for renewable
climate control in energy
the desert resource
2010 Karkanias Assessing the Structured Energy NA
et al. restrictions and interview efficiency
perspective of Better profit
stakeholders in the and rentable
Hellenic building economics in
sector the building
industry
2003 Evans Defining the Experimental Human Air
comfort of indoor (thermal comfort Comfort movement
and outdoor spaces analysis using Thermal
in relation to daily triangle graph) mass
temperature Internal
variations gains
Solar gains
Selective
ventilation
2013 Mavromatidis Investigating the Numerical Energy Thermal
et al. effect of building modelling and efficiency protection
envelope’s simulation
insulating property
on building energy
Table 4. consumption

From the review of most cited documents, it was observed that more emphasis was placed
only on thermal and visual comfort. Emphasis on acoustic comfort is also essential (Axali and
Teli, 2008; Ţundrea and Budescu, 2013). A building’s acoustic comfort describes its ability to
provide a suitable living condition for its occupant by guiding against external noise
(Katafygiotou and Serghides, 2014). Meteorological variables affect sounds (Larsson, 2000).
Hence, wind and temperature variations can cause bending of sound waves and change in
sound level over a long distance (Hannah, 2006). Studies have shown that wind-induced
sounds affect buildings and urban space (Trikootam and Hornikx, 2019). Also, in certain
situations, sounds are more audible on the upper floors because warmer ground temperature
bends sounds upward (Dahlan, 2009). In such situations, rooms on the upper floor will receive
more noise. Controlling noise is an essential part of a building design. It is a criterion in
evaluating a green building’s indoor environmental quality (Paul and Taylor, 2008).
Table 4 shows the research approaches previously used in the most cited bioclimatic
architecture studies. The most adopted research approach is “computer simulation”. Such
simulations are either numerical modelling and simulation (Casals, 2006; Mavromatidis et al.,
2012) or building performance simulation (BPS) (Bastide et al., 2006; Irulegi et al., 2014). The
least adopted approaches are “empirical observation” and “interview” (Bajcinovci and Jerliu,
2016; Bodach and Hamber, 2010; Karkanias et al., 2010). Other research approaches are listed,
namely, literature review (Bodach et al., 2014; Penic et al., 2014), experiment and report
(Kumar et al., 1998; Etzion et al., 1997). The repetitive adoption of computer simulation shows
its large adoption in AEC research.
 Innovative and technological energy-saving approaches are trends in bioclimatic Bioclimatic
architecture (Manzano-Agugliaro et al., 2015). As observed in the documents, such trends architecture
have led to innovations like the solar chimney (Kumar et al., 1998), building-integrated
vegetation (Pastore et al., 2017), double skin façade (Penic et al., 2014), solar thermal collector
(Bosqued et al., 2006), parametric facades (Chronis et al., 2012), photovoltaic panels, PCM
panels and evaporative cooling system (Irulegi et al., 2014). As observed in the documents,
such trends have led to the emergence of advanced research approaches such as
computational models (Mavromatidis et al., 2013), computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
(Suarez et al., 2011), the comfort triangle (Evans, 2003), the psychometric charts, Mahoney
tables, control potential zones (CPZ) and the bioclimatic charts (Zain-Ahmed et al., 1998).
One way to determine a bioclimatic strategy’s suitability is by using a bioclimatic chart
(Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017; Zuhairy and Sayigh, 1993). This chart is a graphical representation of
relative humidity and environmental temperature drawn with respect to human thermal
comfort zone located in the middle of the chart (Zuhairy and Sayigh, 1993). The need for
thermal corrections is considered when a building is outside the comfort zone (Manzano-
Agugliaro et al., 2015). Previous studies have adopted these charts (Desogus et al., 2016;
Irulegi et al., 2014; Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017). However, Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) modified the
bioclimatic chart by adding the influence of actual solar radiation in the study location, and
the result was considered accurate. Although solar radiation is the most important climatic
parameter in building designs, Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) observed that the actual solar
radiation’s influence is not considered in previous bioclimatic analysis involving the use of
the bioclimatic charts. To buttress this assertion, none of the reviewed most cited documents
that used the bioclimatic charts adopted this approach.
Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) opined that usually, it is common to replicate vernacular or
innovative bioclimatic strategies in new designs. However, this practice should be verified by
considering the local climate and potential climatic changes (Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017).
Tzikopoulos et al. (2005) submitted that some passive technologies used in most contemporary
European buildings do not affect their energy efficiency. Hence, appropriate and updated
climate data are necessary for better bioclimatic analysis. The critical issue is obtaining an
appropriate and updated climate database to support this assertion. Observation from the
simulation studies showed only Chronis et al. (2012), and Desogus et al. (2016) incorporated
developed typical weather data of the study location into the energy simulation software.
Other studies used default or downloaded typical weather year data obtained from the
simulation software or webpages. Although using the default or downloaded typical weather
data are useful, this might not give accurate results due to potential climate changes. In fact,
Pajek and Ko
sir (2017) further recommended using updated climate data for energy
simulations to guide against inaccurate results due to climate changes.
Aside from assessing the implication of bioclimatic architecture on a scaled building
project, bioclimatic practices are extended to neighbourhood designs (Karakounos et al., 2018;
Pastore et al., 2017; Tang et al., 2014). The urban heat island effect is one of the challenges of
achieving sustainable cities (Karakounos et al., 2018). Thus, bioclimatic analysis on an urban
scale is necessary. It is also observed from the most cited documents that ENVI-met is mostly
adopted for such analysis, while wind analysis is done using CFD analysis. CFD tools
commonly adopted are TRYSYNS, fluent and Windsim. Pastore et al. (2017) quantitively
assessed the micro-climate effect of vegetation on indoor thermal comfort. The study
observed that aside from improving the urban microclimate, greening also improves indoor
thermal comfort due to the effect of shading, radiant interactions and evapotranspiration.
The energy implication of such indoor comfort is that it reduces the building cooling
requirement. However, the study asserted that thermal comfort and energy performance
simulation tools are disconnected from environmental elements such as vegetation, soil types
and building surfaces’ albedo (i.e. reflective power) values. These environmental elements
ECAM have a significant impact on building interiors’ environmental conditions. Karakounos et al.
(2018) submitted that bioclimatic practices affect outdoor thermal comfort. The study showed
the influence of greening, cooling pavings and water surface on outdoor comfort. However,
cooling pavings will cause outdoor thermal discomfort in places with high sky view factor
values. Although, Yaghoobian and Kleissl (2012) submitted that reflective pavements
increase building energy use due to the reflection of solar radiation onto building walls and
through windows, Karakounos et al. (2018) opined that there are no general conclusions on
the influence of reflective pavements on building energy consumption. A general conclusion
from Pastore et al. (2017) and Karakounos et al. (2018) is that the disconnection of
environmental elements from simulation tools makes accessing the energy implication of
environmental elements like reflectance challenging.
The government and other energy legislative bodies play a pivotal role in making informed
decisions on bioclimatic design adoption and reducing building energy use (Casals, 2006;
Bodach and Hamber, 2010; Karkanias et al., 2010). Caslas (2006) submitted that energy analysis
should be integrated into energy regulation and certification schemes. The study noted that
additional resources would be required to train building designers on energy simulation and
analysis tools. However, building stakeholders will not be willing to incur these additional
resources. Bodach and Hamber (2010) highlighted some constraints to attaining energy
efficiency. These are, namely, the absence of energy efficiency in the building code, absence of
a national policy for implementing energy efficiency, project planners’ limited knowledge on
energy efficiency and bioclimatic architecture, and building occupants have little information
about energy-saving practices. The study submitted that implementing energy efficiency
measures and policies would help achieve energy-efficiency. Karkanias et al. (2010) discovered
that lack of economic incentives, lack of technical know-how and a lack of specific
environmental policies affect the adoption of bioclimatic architecture. In more recent review
studies, energy policy strategies in the form of energy efficiency standards, feed-in-tariffs and
energy performance certification have been identified as the ways of achieving net-zero
buildings. However, Lu and Lai (2019) submitted that strategies should be put in place for
effective compliance with energy standards, especially in developing countries.

Summary of research themes in bioclimatic architecture

The five research themes previously identified were also reviewed in line with the cited
documents, and this formed an additional basis for establishing the research gap. This is
discussed in detail as follows:

Sustainable development in bioclimatic architecture

Bioclimatic architecture has been established as a sustainable design practice (Eichner and
Ivanova, 2019). Hence, Silva and Guedes (2006) referred to bioclimatic architecture as “a path
to sustainability”. Bioclimatic practices are also extended to providing a sustainable urban
environment (Karakounos et al., 2018; Tsitoura et al., 2017). Such practices improve outdoor
microclimate and indoor comfort (Axarli and Teli, 2008). However, studies have shown that a
review of the urban design process is necessary, and this should include criteria like thermal
perception, visual and acoustic comfort (Nasrollahi and Shokri, 2016; Tsitoura et al., 2017).
Urban geometry, greenery, urban landscape features and material selection are tools used in
achieving better environmental comfort (Tsitoura et al., 2017). Adapting these tools allows for
comfortable space, a healthy environment and building energy savings (Zoras, 2015). These,
in turn, have a positive influence on environmental performance. Intelligent approaches are
also adopted in bioclimatic designs (Etzion, 1997; Irulegi et al., 2014). Intelligent buildings are
sustainable when their performance with respect to water, energy, waste and pollution is
sustained (Clements-Croome, 2013). Intelligent skins, sensors, smart materials, passive
design and renewable energy resources are the criteria for selecting an intelligent building Bioclimatic
(Omar, 2018). The ability to allow for indoor environmental control enables intelligent architecture
building solutions for bioclimatic designs. Furthermore, vernacular architecture is related to
bioclimatic architecture (Desogus et al., 2016; Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017. This type of architecture
adapts to the climate without additional energy-consuming devices (Singh et al., 2011).
However, because vernacular architecture might not meet up with modern living techniques,
it should be adapted to modern design (Bodach et al., 2014).

Building performance simulation (BPS) for bioclimatic designs

Simulations could aid design decision-making (Chronis et al., 2012). The conventional
architectural approach for solving human comfort and building energy issues should be
verified using an analytical approach before making appropriate modifications (Mohamed,
2007; Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017). BPS can be carried out at a mesoscale, neighbourhood scale and
building scale level (Pastore et al., 2017). At the building scale level, BPS is performed using
Energyplus, Openstudio, Ecotect, Designbuilder and DOE-2 (Bosqued et al., 2006; Bodach and
Hamber, 2010; Mahdy and Nikolopoulou, 2014). However, Energyplus was the most adopted
energy simulation software in the related bioclimatic architecture studies. At the mesoscale
and neighbourhood scale level, analysis and prediction of urban microclimate are carried out
using CFD tools, complex calculations and software like ENVI-met (Tsitoura et al., 2017).
Recently, simulations are increasing in the AEC sector due to building information modelling
(BIM) development (Konig et al., 2012). BIM has gain relevance in building energy modelling
practices because it provides the advantage of interoperability, visualisation and real-time
data accessibility (Stride et al., 2020).

Building climatology and building energy use

Most energy consumed in buildings are spent on cooling, heating and lighting (Bajcinovci
and Jerliu, 2016; Bastide et al., 2006). The large energy utilisation on cooling and heating
shows why thermal comfort is in this research theme. To achieve a comfortable
environment and lower energy use, climate control is necessary (Etzion et al., 1997). Various
vernacular and innovative strategies have been developed to achieve climate control (Costa
et al., 2019; Penic et al., 2014). Energy performance is essential for evaluating building
energy use (Virag and Phalguni, 2018). Computer simulation, forecasting, bin method,
degree days and overall thermal transfer value are methods of evaluating building energy
performance (Bakar et al., 2015). However, computer simulation in the form of hourly energy
analysis is the most accurate method (Tsang, 2010). Energy conservation is also another
observed keyword. Energy conservation is achieved by controlling lighting, heating,
ventilation and cooling buildings (Dounis, 2010). Dounis (2010) further submitted that
artificial intelligence (AI) could be a useful energy conservation tool in buildings. Machine
learning (ML), expert systems, computational intelligence, distributed artificial intelligence
and intelligent interfaces are examples of AI useful in energy conservation studies. Data
analytics is one of the tools for understanding building energy use and determining energy-
efficient solutions (Srivastava et al., 2019). AI is one of the data analytics approaches (Bilal
et al., 2016), and it is useful for predicting building energy use (Dounis, 2010; Seyedzadeh
et al., 2018).

Solar energy applications in bioclimatic architecture

Solar energy is considered the most adopted resource for generating power (Li et al., 2019).
When calculating the bioclimatic potential of a design, the consideration of solar irradiance is
crucial (Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017). For evaluating passive and active energy-saving practices,
solar radiation on building envelopes and daylight gained in building interiors are essential
ECAM (Lou et al., 2016). The utilisation of solar energy has led to solar energy applications like solar
chimney (Kumar et al., 1998), specialised glazing for capturing solar energy (Suarez et al.,
2011) and other active–passive solar technologies (Bosqued et al., 2006; Irulegi, 2014). Energy
savings in daylighting means low electric lighting, reduced peak electrical demands, reduced
cooling requirements and potential for smaller HVAC equipment size (Li et al., 2005). Solar
radiation and daylight data are needed for solar energy applications, but this is not easy to
generate (Li et al., 2019; Rees and Mardaljevic, 2015). Other factors affecting solar radiation
and daylight data availability are the high cost of measuring instruments and empirical
models’ inaccuracy (Lou et al., 2016). A more recent and accurate solar data generation
approach is ML (Celik and Muneer, 2013; Li and Lou, 2018). It is also interesting to observe the
keyword “office building”. Office buildings consume the most energy in the commercial
sector and most of the energy is spent on cooling and lighting (Tsang 2010). This accounts for
the possible inclusion of “office building” in the cluster.

Systems and passive cooling in bioclimatic buildings

The need for cooling is another aspect explored in previous studies (Bajcinovinoci and Jerliu,
2016; Fernandes et al., 2015). Passive cooling can either be through control of heat gained into
a building space or the removal of unwanted heat within the building (Geetha and Velraj,
2012). Systems and passive cooling techniques reduce peak cooling load leading to building
energy savings (Mohammed, 2012). Building materials are also another item found in the
cluster. Numerical simulations have been carried out to ascertain the thermal behaviour of
walls, and the result obtained is necessary for evaluating envelope performance
(Mavromatidis et al., 2012, 2013). Thermally dense material, insulation, reflective coatings,
double skin façade are some building materials that influence passive cooling (Geetha and
Velraj, 2012). Building materials’ thermal mass effect contributes to temperature stabilisation
during underheating and overheating periods (Desogus et al., 2016). Natural ventilation is a
passive cooling method (Bastide et al., 2006; Jamaludin et al., 2014). Energy saving is achieved
through natural ventilation because it reduces air-conditioning period (Bastide et al., 2006). A
room’s natural ventilation system’s effectiveness is influenced by its position, the floor level
(if the building is multistorey) and green landscape due to reduced temperature (Jamaludin
et al., 2014). The evaporative cooling system is also a cooling strategy useful in lowering the
ambient temperature (Irulegi et al., 2014).

Path for future studies

Studies on bioclimatic architecture were consolidated, and the trends in past studies were
observed. Based on the observed gaps in the literature, directions for further studies were
speculated as follows:
(1) By observing the keywords and most cited documents, the study deduced that there
is no information on acoustic comfort nor its influence on building energy efficiency.
Major studies were focused on thermal and visual comfort. This poses a big question
on researchers’ interest in this area. It is convenient to argue that building materials,
landscaping or proper building orientation can influence a building’s acoustic
property. Still, an observation from the selected documents shows that researchers
are more concerned with the thermal and cooling influence of these highlighted
measures. Since studies have also shown the impact of acoustic on building energy
efficiency (Caniato and Bettarello, 2013; Kelly et al., 2014), it becomes an area worth
further research. As a sustainable approach, the study further proposes more
research on the use of intelligent skins and smart building materials in achieving
acoustic comfort.
(2) Despite its usefulness and accuracy, AI is an emerging technology (Jin et al., 2020), Bioclimatic
and recent studies have clamoured for its widespread adoption in the AEC sector architecture
(Darko et al., 2020). Although AI was identified as a useful energy conservation tool
(Dounis 2010), it is not adopted in the most cited document. AI is a useful analytical
tool that should be further explored in bioclimatic studies. Darko et al. (2020) further
affirmed the need for more AI applications like ML in building energy research.
(3) Energy policies are crucial in the implementation of building energy evaluation
measures. Some of the factors affecting the implementation of such energy policies
have been previously discussed (Bodach and Hamber, 2010; Karkanias et al., 2010; Lu
and Lai, 2019). The most accurate energy performance analytic tool (i.e. BPS) will
also require data integration with BIM (Hong et al., 2018). Nonetheless, the lack of
industry-standard will affect BIM implementation (Rogers et al., 2015; Zhou et al.,
2019). Research into the factors mitigating energy policies implementation, energy
policies adoption and implementation methods, benefits of adherence to energy
policies are necessary. Generally, there is a need for a regulated standard that
ensures the evaluation of building energy performance and adherence to such
policies if they are already set in place. This is essential, especially in developing
countries.
(4) Findings showed that few studies focused on the economic and cost implications of
adopting bioclimatic design strategies. The building industry makes an
indispensable contribution to the economy (Xundi et al., 2010), and consequently, it
is the greatest consumer of energy (Seyedzadeh et al., 2018). More research work in
this area is needed since such information cut across all building stakeholders in the
AEC sector and the building industry as a whole. It also shows the cost implication
and potential savings on the clients who are the end-users of buildings.
(5) Two key issues on solar radiation data have been noted. First, the influence of actual
solar radiation is sparingly considered in bioclimatic charts while carrying out
bioclimatic analysis. Secondly, such data are difficult to derive (Li et al., 2019). Solar
radiation plays a crucial role in building designs (Lou et al., 2016; Pajek and Ko
sir,
2017). An approach that allows for the inclusion of solar radiation data in the
subsequent bioclimatic analysis should be adopted. Also, Pajek and Ko
sir (2017)
carried out this approach on a modified Olgay’s bioclimatic chart. Further studies
using Givoni’s chart can also be considered. Secondly, a more accurate approach to
deriving solar radiation data is ML (Li and Lou, 2018). This approach can also be
explored.
(6) Future studies should consider using a developed typical weather year data in
subsequent BPS since this gives a more accurate result by considering the local
climate and nullifying potential climate change issues (Pajek and Ko
sir, 2017). If
possible, further verification of previously established BPS results especially when a
mesoscale simulation is carried out should be done using this approach. This helps
validate the possibility of using a previously established bioclimatic strategy in a
region.
(7) Aside from simulations, qualitative research can also be done in bioclimatic
architecture research. Interviews and observations have been previously used, but
their adoption is low. Qualitative research methods help interpret events and
ascertain reasons for prominent issues (Jamshed, 2014). Such a research approach
might also give additional answers to the causes of building energy issues and
possible solutions. This approach will be vital in comparative studies involving
ECAM expert opinions from different countries since building energy issues in developing
countries might differ from those in developed countries.
Interestingly, ML can be adopted to adjust or improve data collection or survey management
(Bushirk et al., 2018). ML can be used to refine explanatory models through prediction or
classification (Kern et al., 2019). Combining ML and qualitative studies in future works could
also be considered.
(8) Simulation tools are often disconnected from elements that characterise the
surrounding environment. This makes accessing the impact of such environmental
elements on building interiors challenging. Pastore et al. (2017) managed this
situation by algorithm coupling (i.e. integrating ENVI-met simulation with
Energyplus). Strictly speaking, very few comprehensive and multi-scale design
tools exist, and this makes ENVI-met the commonly used software. Algorithm
coupling can also be adopted in further studies to assess the influence of ground
reflectance on building energy consumption since further work still needs to be done
in this area.
(9) The building envelope influences the need for space cooling because this part of the
building is exposed directly to solar radiation (Li et al., 2019). Since the goal of
bioclimatic design is to achieve building energy savings, it will be more appropriate to
generate energy from the sun while saving energy consumed in cooling. Hence, for
office buildings, a practical approach to reducing building energy expenditure is a
façade design that generates energy and reduces energy consumption. Although
numerous works have been done on the various passive cooling techniques and
renewable energy generation, office buildings are considered because it is an
identified keyword. A double-skin façade (DSF) is a bioclimatic approach that can
influence a building’s heating and cooling requirement (Ahadollah et al., 2014; Penic
et al., 2014). However, a more preferred approach will be integrating DSF and building
integrated photovoltaic (DSF-BIPV) panels (Agathokleous and Kalogirou, 2016).
Thus, further research on the use of DSF-BIPV panels in office buildings can be done
to attain zero energy office buildings. These panels can also be used in buildings with
large glazing requirements on the external façade.

Conclusions
The building industry is the highest consumer of energy. The application of sustainable
energy-efficient measures like the bioclimatic architecture approach is an alternative to cater
to such building energy issues. The concept of bioclimatic architecture describes climate
adaptation to architecture to improve building occupants’ comfort and achieve building
energy efficiency. By adopting a bibliometric search, a scientometric approach, and an in-
depth qualitative analysis, the study reviewed journal and conference publications in the
domain of bioclimatic architecture obtained from the Scopus database. The scientometric
approach used applied quantitative measurements such as average number of citations,
number of occurrences, average publication year, number of links, and total link strength.
An analysis of the trend of research publications from 1980 to 2020 showed that there had
been an increase in the number of publications on bioclimatic architecture in the last
two decades. This shows researchers’ continuous effort in tackling issues arising from the
continuous increase in building energy consumption. Productive publications outlets on
bioclimatic architecture were identified to include Energy and Buildings, Renewable energy,
the PLEA conference proceedings, WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment and
Energy Procedia. These publication outlets have received high citation bursts in the past
years, and 18 of the 28 highly cited articles are published in these outlets. The document Bioclimatic
citation analysis revealed that Ratti et al. (2003), Casals (2006), Tzikopoulous et al. (2005), architecture
Bodach et al. (2014) and Bastide et al. (2006) were the top-cited documents in bioclimatic
architecture. Interestingly all five documents were published in Energy and buildings.
Furthermore, the keywords with most citations are daylighting, walls, laws and
legislation, vernacular architecture and climate control. However, keywords such as
bioclimatic design, energy efficiency, architectural design, buildings and sustainable
development were more occurrent. Cluster analysis revealed the focus areas of research
within this domain. These include sustainable development, building performance
simulation, building climatology and building energy use, solar energy applications and
systems and passive cooling. Findings from the in-depth qualitative content analysis
reflected some grey areas, and these were mapped out for future studies. These are;
(1) relating acoustic comfort with bioclimatic architecture and identifying its building
energy implications.
(2) incorporating AI into bioclimatic architecture research.
(3) determining the factors mitigating the implementation of energy policies, especially
in developing countries.
(4) identifying the economic and cost implications of adopting bioclimatic design
approaches.
(5) incorporating solar radiation data with bioclimatic charts with an emphasis on
Givoni’s bioclimatic chart.
(6) developing more ML models for solar radiation data generation.
(7) subsequent integration of developed typical weather year data with BPS energy
analysis.
(8) exploring qualitative research methods like interviews in bioclimatic research and
analysing results using ML approaches.
(9) evaluating ground reflectance influence on building energy consumption using
algorithm coupling.
(10) integrating DSF-BIPV in energy-efficient office buildings.
Bioclimatic design will reduce building energy use; therefore, the best form of practice should
be adopted in the AEC sector to get optimum results. The study portrays the ideal bioclimatic
design as an interplay of architecture, engineering and effective industry standards. Findings
also show that replicating previously used bioclimatic strategies on new designs should be
discouraged in the AEC sector since such practices might not be energy efficient. Replicating
design strategies should only be done when such strategies are verified to fit into the local
climate.
The study provides valuable information to researchers, practitioners and government
bodies. Theoretically, the revealed research gaps can be investigated by graduate students
and researchers. Practically, the information provided can help the building industry
stakeholders in decision-making. Also, government agencies and corporate organisations
may find the information provided useful in aiding policy formulation. It is pertinent to note
that the study has some limitations. This includes the use of a single database (i.e. Scopus), the
selection of documents in the English language only, and the limitation of research articles to
journals and conferences only. Thus, the study might not have covered all the available
literature as regards the subject of discourse. Despite these limitations, the study’s goal in
ECAM revealing the overall trend in bioclimatic architecture, and mapping out areas for future
studies was achieved. Future research that averts these limitations can be conducted for
comparative purposes.

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Corresponding author
Emmanuel Imuetinyan Aghimien can be contacted at: [email protected]

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